China restructures government to increase party power

The executive is put as a priority to make the party occupies an increasing relevance in the economy and society

14 Mart 2018 Çarşamba 11:00 - 32 reads.

China has presented on Tuesday an ambitious plan to restructure its governance structure, which will see Creating new ministries, merging or entities and, above all, delves into "party leadership in all aspects". The project, which has been made public by State Councillor Wang Yong in National People's Assembly (ANP), Chinese legislature, provides, inter alia, merger of powerful supervisory agencies of banking and insurer sector, establishment of a new Ministry of Environment and dissolution of eight entities.

The gigantic plan, largest in years to restructure government in China, will be approved after a formal debate throughout this week, in a vote of mere formality in plenary of ANP next Saturday.

According to ir advocates, reform is necessary to eliminate conflicts of competence or possibility of corruption in bodies too powerful. It also seeks to clarify who has what competencies, something that in a system as bureaucratized as Chinese does not always end up being clear.

The merger of banking and insurance regulators, a sector that moves 43 trillion dollars in China, is one of those examples. The people's Bank of China will be responsible for establishing standards and procedures for this sector, with aim of avoiding excesses of past in area of credit granting and bulky debt, one of main problems of economy.

But Chinese government itself has made it clear that priority is to ensure leadership of party and to make it increasingly relevant to China's economy and society. It is one of goals that has characterized since its arrival in power in 2012 mandate of President Xi Jinping, which considers this essential consolidation for its goal of converting China into a global power.

"Deepening reform of Party and state institutions is an inevitable requirement to strengn long-term government of party," writes Tuesday in very official daily of people Liu he, chief economic adviser of Xi and one of The 25 members of Politburo. "In government, army, justice and civil institutions, local administrations; In north, south, east and west, party is what commands everything else, "writes Liu.

According to Professor Feng Yujung of National Academy of Development and strategy, reform plan announced on Tuesday, despite being immense by itself, only "represents a third part." A similar restructuring of party-managed entities will come later. Several entities that so far depended on state will become CCP, explains Feng, who puts as an example current state agency supervisor of Religions, which will become dependent on a party agency.

One example is new National Monitoring Commission, which will add to Central Inspection and Discipline Commission (CCDI), party's police arm, and state anti-corruption office. This new organism, which will have a hierarchical level similar to that of executive itself, will be in charge of fight against corruption among all employees of party and state.

Seven new ministries will be created, while eight more are to be disappeared. One of main changes will be unification in a single organism of regulators of financial system, which would monitor sectors valued at 43 trillion of dollars. A new Market management Commission will also be born, with numerous functions: from monitoring food security to enforcing laws on monopolies.

The so far almighty national reform and Development Commission, which oversaw much of Chinese economy, will see instead withdrawing several of its powers, which will be delivered to or agencies.

If this body was in charge of climate change policy so far, that function will now be passed to Ministry of Environment and Ecology, new name of former Ministry of Environmental Protection. This department, once one of weakest within executive, will be reinforced, at least on paper, and coordinate fight against pollution and marine protection.

China's importance to food security, one of regime's major concerns in a country containing 20% of world's population, but only 10% of arable land, is evident in establishment of a new Ministry of Agriculture.

The great project of Xi Jinping in foreign policy, "New Silk Road", a network of infrastructures that connects world, receives a new support with creation of a department of aid to international development.

The Government of press, publications, radio, film and television, which will become a new radio, film and television agency, disappears. The Ministry of Culture will merge with National Tourism Agency.

A Ministry for Veterans

M. V. L

Some of reforms seem, at first glance, to be inspired by United States. Thus Ministry of Emergency Management, similar to federal agency FEMA, or Ministry of Veterans, will have similar functions to that of its American counterpart and will take care of 57 million of retired Chinese soldiers.

Although reasons for founding this new entity are very national. The reform to modernize armed forces that Beijing applies to forced marches envisages licensing 10% of 2.5 million of military personnel. Veterans ' groups have participated in a series of protests — quickly dissolved — on streets of Beijing to demand better living conditions.

"We have a historical debt with m, says Professor Feng." And if active military sees that its future is not guaranteed, it is more likely to be disgruntled, or corrupted, "he explains. Precisely, on Tuesday newspaper Bun South China Morning Post publishes an exclusive increase in salaries to Chinese military, with effect last August.